by Joel Snider | Sep 17, 2019 | prayer
“Oh, Lord, as you read today in the Courier-Journal…” That’s how one worship leader began a prayer in our seminary chapel. The prayer created quite a discussion among all the young theologues on campus. The one thing no one doubted was that God knew about the event...
by Joel Snider | Jul 9, 2019 | preaching
My education in preaching aligns with the tradition of excellence in manuscripts. It is the tradition of the crafted phrase and the choice of the perfect word at the perfect time. It is the tradition which includes Fosdick, Buttrick, and Claypool. After using an...
by Joel Snider | Apr 9, 2019 | preaching
Most ministers, particularly those who have studied to be pastors, took at least one course in seminary on preaching. That class time covered using the Bible, sermon structure, and delivery. A few hours of these classes also discussed how to plan...
by Joel Snider | Sep 18, 2018 | layperson, Uncategorized
I have known dozens of churches well. Some I served; some were served by colleagues. Others were neighboring congregations. A few of these churches handled difficulties well. They took the initiative to deal with problems in the earliest stages. They set...
by Joel Snider | Aug 14, 2018 | communication
In part one of this two-part column, I wrote that healthy churches give considerable attention to a full process of communication that includes: quality of decisions, quantity of messages, accuracy of information, and consistency of practice. In part two, I will...
